Of Angels and Demons
by MortyaSanoma
Summary: Earth. A place full of things people can't explain. But one thing humanity has come to accept is the fact they are not alone. Not only do humans walk the earth, but so do demons, creatures of the night. Join a few people as they live in this world, whether they be human, demon, or angel. Sort of a Demonstuck, Rated M for violence, language, and other stuff.
1. Prologue

Hey guys, this started out at an RP with my friend, and I just got hit with a story idea. Please enjoy the prologue!

* * *

Earth. A place full of things people can't explain. But one thing humanity has come to accept is the fact they are not alone. Not only do humans walk the earth, but so do demons, creatures of the night. They prey on humans during the night and hide from them in the day. Humans, however, are not completely defenseless from the demons. Angels protect the humans during the night, and humans who have learned the art of hunting and taming demons search for them, taming them and making them servants for the humans.

Our story begins on a normal day in Washington. A family drove home after a wonderful dinner. The family consists of a father, mother, two sons and a daughter. This certain family just learned that a fourth child was on the way, and were celebrating. During their dinner, the weather changed, rain starting to pour down, making the roads slick. The father laughed at something the older son had said, before looking at the road again, gasping as he saw a full grown male demon standing in the middle of the road, clutching something in his arms. The father quickly turned the wheel, the mother screaming. The demon ducked as the car skidded and flipped over it. After the car skidded to a halt, the father crawled out of the car, pulling the oldest son out, then the youngest son. The mother pulled out the daughter, then screamed. The father stared down at the youngest, the young boy, who laid limp in his arms. The mother also stared down at the girl, also limp.

"No… No…." The mother cried as she held her daughter close to her.

The father, in a blind fit of rage, pulled his hunting riffle out of his car and ran after the demon. The oldest child, the boy, gently cradled his dead brother in his arms.

The father ran after the demon, his eyes burning with rage. Finally, he cornered the demon and aimed his gun at the demon. Suddenly, a young cry came from what the demon was clutching. The father lowered his gun slowly as the demon crouched down, unwrapping a younger demon from his blanket. The father's eyes widened. The young demon couldn't have been any older than his now dead son. The older demon tried to calm the younger one, when another one appeared from the forest.

"B-Bro?" The other one, about the age of the man's oldest son.

"Dirk get out of here!" The oldest demon yelled. The younger demon looked at his 'Bro' with sad orange eyes before running back into the forest. The oldest demon stared at the father from under his white cap.

The father pulled his gun back up and aimed at the demon, who simply hunched over more, covering the youngest demon protectively. The man gulped a bit and started to pull the trigger, before lowering his gun, surprising the demon supremely. " You keep your family. I can't bring myself to make those two go on the way I will. Go. Run." He said, motioning the demon to run. The demon stared at the man with wide eyes before nodding slowly and running into the forest. The father aimed his gun at the sky and pulled the trigger a few times, screaming in aggravation.

Back at the car, the mother sat, trying to comfort the only surviving child, who still clutched to his younger brother.

"Jane…. John…. JOHN!"


	2. Chapter 1: First Mission

Chapter 1

"JOHN EGBERT!" The young male jumped a bit from his bed. He looked up at the man who looked down at him, the man's wings twitching in annoyance. John smiled nervously at the older angel, standing up and brushing himself off. "About time you woke up."

"S-Sorry, Summoner…" John replied, his wings drooping a bit.

"You've been an angel for how many years? One would think you'd know when to wake up by now." Summoner sighed, rubbing his forehead. "Even Jane has been up longer than you." John looked down, ashamed.

"I said I was sorry…" John said again. John became an angel about 12 years ago, with barely any memories of his human life. All he remembered was Jane was his older sister and they had died together. Nothing else. John stretched and looked up and the tan angel again, who sighed.

"I know, John. I know." He said, patting his head. "Come on, you have a mission." John grinned. His years of training finally paid off. He and Jane were finally going to, hopefully, go on a mission together. He walked behind the tall angel, before being taken to a door that before he'd been forbidden to enter. John gulped a bit before Summoner opened the door, revealing a room full of high ranking angels and a map of the world, which shone with a bunch of bright red lights.

"W-Wow…." John said, wide eyed.

"John!" Jane yelled as she hugged the smaller male. John gasped before laughing a bit.

"Hey, Jane…" Jane smiled and turned to look at the angel in the center. John gulped as he slowly walked towards him, only having heard of this angel from stories and rumors of other angels who had missions before him.

The angel was smaller than Summoner, but had just as much of a presence, if not more so. His hair was a dark black, short and messy, much like John's. He turned to him and John gasped. Never before had John met an angel with dark red eyes. Although his eyes shone dark red, they were gentle as he smiled at the smaller angel. "John Egbert I presume?" John nodded quickly, being nudged closer by Jane. "I have heard much about you from Jane. I am Signless." John bowed quickly, earning a laugh from Signless. "No need to bow to me, John. I am only an angel such as yourself." John looked up at Signless and smiled a bit.

"Th-Thank you sir…" John replied as he stood straight up. Signless nodded.

"Now, I have a mission for you and your sister." Signless stated. John grinned and looked at Jane, who gave him a thumbs up. John looked back at him as he continued. "It's in Houston, Texas. A horde of demons have escaped there. We need you to watch over the humans during the night. Think you two can handle it?"

"Jane and John are ready for this, Signless. I give my word." Summoner replied. Signless nodded and waved his hand. John grinned and looks at Jane as they walk out.

"We finally get to work together!" John grinned.

"Yeah!" Jane grinned as they prepared for flight.

* * *

Meanwhile, in Texas, a young demon sat, playing with his broken sword, ruby red eyes bored. He sighed a bit, tossing the sword and catching it by the hilt.

"DIRK?! WHEN CAN WE LEAVE?!" The demon yelled, obviously bored beyond his mind.

"Damnit, Dave, I swear if you ask me again I will skin you alive!" The response came from another demon, a few years older than Dave. He ran his hair through his spiky blond hair. "You know we have to wait until night time. Remember what happened last time?" Dave rolled his eyes.

"Yeah yeah…" Dave replied, rolling his eyes as he rubs the back of his neck. He then smirks. "What kind of angels you think they will send this time?" Dave asked his brother.

"Doesn't matter. We're gonna avoid them as best we can." Dirk replied. Dave pouted.

"Come on. Angels are almost as fun as hunters." Dave whined.

"Yeah, and twice as dangerous." Dirk snapped at the younger demon, who pouted again.

"Fine. Just watch. I'll catch one! Just watch." Dave yelled.

"Dave, don't that's one of the heaviest crimes a demon can commit." Dirk replied, bopping Dave on the back of the head.

"I'm gonna do it. I don't care about no angel laws." Dave growled. Dirk simply growled in response before walking out of the room. Dave smirked in victory and waited for the nighttime.

* * *

John looked down at the city. "W-Wow… This is Houston?!" John gasped. Jane giggled at her younger brother.

"Yup. Now we need to be careful. These demons mean business." Jane warned the younger angel.

"Yeah yeah I got that."John replied, landing on the ground hiding his wings. He walked around, staring at the tall buildings. Not many businesses were open during the nighttime, but that didn't stop the many lights from shining in the night sky. Jane landed next to him.

"Pretty huh?" Jane asked, also hiding her wings. John nodded a bit.

"Do you think we lived here before?" John asked.

"I don't know…. And I don't know if we'll ever know." Jane replied sadly. John nodded.

"C-Can I go look around?" John asked. Jane nodded and John ran off with a grin. He looked around, seeing a multitude of malls and shops. He looked at the restaurants and movie theaters, wishing headquarters had a movie theater. He then noticed he got himself so he looked around. He then saw a boy about his age, sitting by an alleyway. He wore shades over his eyes, and held a soda bottle in his hands. "E-Excuse me?" John asked, walking over to the boy. He looked up at him, his red eyes showing over his shades. John jumped a bit but stared at the guy. The guy looked him over and smirked a bit.

"Yo, bro." Was the reply. He stood up and leaned his arm against the wall, his other arm on his hip. "You new here?"

"Y-Yes. Indeed I am. I'm a bit lost. Can you tell me how to get to the nearest mall?" John asked. The guy looked him over and smirked again.

"Sure. What's your name?" The guy asked.

"Oh right. How rude of me. I'm John. John Egbert." John said, extending his hand for a handshake.

"Dave. Dave Strider." The guy said, shaking his hand. John gasped a bit as he received a large shock from Dave's hand, withdrawing his hand. Dave obviously experienced the same thing and pulls his shades off. "Angel?" John's eyes widened. He had run into a demon. Dave smirked at John's shock and quickly pinned him to a wall. "Well, this is a surprise. Haven't seen one this small in a while." Dave smirked at John's shorter stature than him.

"I-I'm not small!"John replied by lifting both legs up and kicking the demon in the stomach. The demon gasped and stumbled backwards. John quickly summoned his hammer, prepping for a fight. Dave, in turn, pulled out his broken sword. "Really? Demons fight with swords?"

"Don't make fun of it, Egderp. Swords are the shit." John flinched a bit at the language before leaping at the demon, bringing down his hammer onto the demon. Dave blocked the hammer with his sword, swinging back and took the opportunity to strike back. John stumbled a bit but blocked the strike with the handle of his hammer.

"John!" John looked to the side and saw Jane running towards him.

"Not so fast." Jane gasped when a sword appeared before her, an older demon standing in front of her. "You fight me, angel chick."

"Thanks, Dirk. This one is mine!" Dave yelled, kicking John and knocking him against the wall. Jane glared and brought out her trident like weapon.

"Let my brother go!"Jane ordered, swiping at the older demon. He simply blocked the attack and kicked her back.

"No can do." Dirk said.

John held his hand to his stomach, before looking up at Dave, his eyes widening when he sees a blade in front of his face. "I win, angel boy." Dave smirked. John quickly kicked out his leg and tripped the demon down.

"Not today, Stridork." John said, pinning the demon boy to the ground. His eyes met with the demon's and he froze a bit. Dave also froze.

"Impressive, angel. No one's pinned me before…" Dave said, smirking up at him before kicking him hard in the gut. John gasped and fell to the side. Dave then rolled over and pinned John down. "Check mate." Dave smirked triumphantly. John looked up at the demon, weakly. "You're mine now, Egbert."

"John!" Jane yelled before she got hit from behind, being knocked out.

"Rose." Dirk said flatly. Behind the body of Jane stood a girl with light blond hair and purple eyes.

"Dirk." She replied. She looked at Dave, noticing the younger angel pinned underneath him. "Yo, Rose. Look what I got." Dave smirked, pulling John up and holding his hands behind his back.

"Let me go, demon!" John yelled at Dave. Dave just held him closer.

"Not gonna happen, Egbert." Dave smirked. "But I tell ya what. I'm a nice guy. We'll let your sister go, if you come with me without much more fighting." John looked at Jane, who had two demons standing over her, before looking down.

"Fine. I'll come. Just don't hurt her." John conceded.

"I swear on demon's honor." Dave smirked, pulling John along, holding him close.


	3. Chapter 2: Other Side of the Story

Hey guys! New chapter! I hope y'all are liking this. If y'all do please review it!

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The stench from the sewer overpowered John's nose as the three demons dragged him down towards their hideout. John saw a makeshift door in the wall, which the older demon, Dirk, opened. Dave yanked him into the area and he sees three more demons sitting in the room, two males and one female. One male, who wore blue glasses over his blue eyes, sniffed the air.

"What'th that annoying thmell?" He asked, an obvious lisp showing. "Thmell'th thweet" "Hey, Sollux. Look at what I caught today." Dave smirked, holding John close to him. The other male, a blond with a purple streak in his hair, looked at him and his eyes widened.

"You actually caught an angel?!" He asked in shock. Sollux, the blue eyed demon, also widened his eyes as he got a good look at John. The female, an energetic red head with a blue hat on, jumped over to him and stared him in the face, sniffing him.

"He smells funny." She said cheerfully. John felt uncomfortable, knowing he was surrounded by demons.

"He's an angel, what do you expect?" Dave asked, putting one hand under John's chin. John pulled his face away from him. "Don't worry. I won't hurt you… much." Dave smirked and John's eyes widened. The two demons chuckled a bit.

"W-Welcome to the other side, kid. You'v-ve got a lot to learn." The blond demon said, smirking and winking at John, who gulped.

* * *

Meanwhile, Jane opened her eyes slowly, hearing someone call her name multiple times. She looked up and saw Summoner leaning over her. She stared up at him before sitting up quickly.

"S-Summoner!?" She gasped a bit, looking around. "Oh gosh… John! Where's John?!" She asked, starting to panic.

"Calm down, Jane. Just calm down." Summoner said, patting her head. "Where did you last see him?"

"He was fighting a demon, right over there." Jane points to the area where Dave and John had fought. Summoner looked at the area and back at her.

"What did this demon look like?" Summoner asked quickly.

"Blond hair and bright red eyes. He fought with a broken sword." Summoner's eyes widened.

"Strider. I didn't think it was them." Summoner said to himself. Jane looked at him confused. "Dave and Dirk Strider, demon brothers. They're pretty famous. They were raised by a demon simply known as Bro Strider. No one knows his real name, not even Dave and Dirk. Even Signless had trouble with him." Jane's eyes widened at that. "I had no idea those two would be here. If I had I wouldn't have sent John, or you for that matter." Summoner looked at Jane. "Come on. I have to get reinforcements." Summoner turned around.

"We're just gonna leave him alone?!" Jane asked panicked.

"I'll be back with other, more powerful angels. But I'm gonna ask you to stay out of this. This is way out of your league. I'm sorry, Jane." Jane looked at Summoner with sad eyes.

"I have to help! He's my brother!" Jane said, looking into Summoner's eyes.

"I understand you feel you have to help, but this is beyond your level. John's not stupid. He'll keep himself alive. Getting him out alive is another matter. But I know we'll get him back. I promise you that, Jane. Somehow, someway, he'll be back." Summoner says, putting his hand on Jane's shoulder. Jane looked down, tears starting to form and she nods slowly, following him up and away.

* * *

John sighed, as he sat against the chair he was bound to. Dave sat in a chair a few feet away from him, staring him down, as if studying him. John blinked a bit before opening his mouth.

"Why are you just staring? It's kind of unnerving." John asked. Dave smirked.

"Haven't had a chance to really look at an angel before. You guys ever consider modeling?" Dave asked smirking. John's eyes widened and his face turned a slight red. "I mean…" Dave continued as he stood up, walking over to John. "Your hair is messy but stylish." Dave messed with John's hair. "Your skin's so fair." Dave pinched John's cheeks, before standing right in front of him. "And your eyes have a deep color. I'm sure modeling agencies would LOVE to get their hands on you guys." Dave said, pinching John's cheeks again. "So precious." Dave mocked. John rolled his eyes, earning a slap from Dave. "Watch out, Egderp. We Strider's have our temper." Dave smirked again. John glared at Dave before looking down.

"Not allowed to do things like that, Stridork. Too busy keeping Demons from eating humans." John replied, looking up at the demon. Dave growled at him, grabbing his hair and yanking it up.

"Listen here, Egbert. Ever think demons get victimized too? Well they do. You angels are just to simple minded to understand that!" Dave growled at John, who's eyes widened. Dave let go of John's hair and walked towards the door. "Don't think we haven't tried to live normal lives." John looked at Dave curiously.

"So you're telling me that humans hurt you guys?" John asked cautiously.

"What do you think those damn hunters and tamers do? They treat us like animals! We're nothing but things to play with for them!" Dave yelled, turning back towards the angel. "They capture us, tie us up, torture us until we lose every ounce of fight in us, then offer us up to the highest bidder. And if we're lucky, the highest bidder makes us do simple chores around the house or even lets us go. But most of the time it's slave labor!" John's eyes widened at what he was learning. "Didn't know that did you?" Dave asked. John shook his head slowly. Dave sighed. "Typical. Make humans look like defenseless babies and demons suddenly become the bad guys." John looked down. Dave raised a brow at him, before sighing. "But I guess not all angels and humans are bad. A human spared me and my bro's life once. Bro deserved the death at the human's hands, but he spared him, and me as well… I was to young to do anything, and Bro was too worried about me to do anything. And, I think his name is Summoner? He ain't so bad either. At least he never turns any demons over to the hunters." John perked up at the Summoner's name.

"S-Summoner was the angel that trained me!" John said quickly. Dave looked at him curiously before laughing.

"No wonder you pinned me down. Summoner's a badass. Even I'll give him that." Dave laughed. John smiled.

"He mentioned the hunters to me before, but I never knew they did that. Is that why he always got this sad look on his face?" John asked. Dave looked at him a bit surprised.

"So some angels do care…" Dave said, mostly to himself, before walking out of the room.

* * *

Summoner walked into the meeting room, Signless in the center again. "Signless, we got a problem." Signless looked at Summoner curiously.

"What's wrong?" Signless asked curiously.

"Striders in Texas. They took John Egbert." Signless's eyes went wide. "Both of them are there I think. That's the only way Jane could have been knocked out. I need help. I need one or two other angels to help me retrieve him." Signless nodded before looking at two other angels. "Dolorosa, can you assist him?" The brown haired angel in front of him nodded, and he turned to another, one with red eyes and red glasses. "You as well, Pollux?" He nodded. "Alright. You have your help, Summoner." Summoner nodded and turned to leave with Dolorosa and Pollux.


	4. Chapter 3: The First Battle

New chapter! I hope y'all enjoy. I got a guest reviewer and I hope to clear up some things in future chapters anyway, enjoy!

* * *

John woke up a few hours later, his stomach growling. John looked around, still bound to the chair. He sighed, looking at the door.

"H-Hello? Anyway I can get something to eat?" John asked. The blond girl, Rose if his memory remembered correctly, walked in.

"You need food?" Rose asked. John nodded slowly. "What is it you angels eat?"

"Pretty much anything." John replied. She nodded and walked out of the room. John bit his lip nervously, looking around again. He noticed the red headed female demon slept on the ground next to a bigger demon, a male with long black hair and broken sunglasses. John gulped a bit and saw Rose walk back into the room with a plate with a burger on it as well as a glass of apple juice. She put them on his lap and untied his arms.

"Eat. Dave is gonna be back soon I hope." Rose commented before walking towards the door. She looked at John for a quickly second. You may walk around. Just don't leave understood?" John nodded and stood up stretching before sitting back down and eating his burger. Soon, Dave walked in and looked right at John, walking over to him.

"They've sent angels to save you." Dave stated. John's eyes widened and he felt excited. "No way they're gone get you back that easily." John gulped and looked down. Dave put a finger under John's finger and tipped his chin up. "Don't worry, angel. I won't hurt them to bad. But no one is gonna take you away from us. Not without a fight." Dave smirked. John gulped again. Dave lowered his shades and looked deep into John's eyes. John slowly nodded and looked down.

"Hey! Equius! Nepeta! We gotta go. Got angels to fight." Dave said, looking at the two sleeping demons. The girl, Nepeta, woke up and rubbed her eyes cutely. Equius, the male, sat up quickly and stood up.

"Angels?" Nepeta asked, looking up at Dave.

"This guy's rescue party." Dave said, petting John's head. Equius walked over to John and tied his hands behind his back again.

"Then we can't risk him getting out can we?" Equius said as he tied the knot tight, causing John to wince in pain. Dave cackled and cupped John's chin in his hand again.

"Sorry, angel. But he's right. Wouldn't really be fair if ya catch my drift." Dave winked at John, who looked away. "Don't be like that, John." Dave made John look at him again, and looked deep in his eyes. "Don't worry, I'll be back." John glared a bit and looked away again.

"Let's go, Dave!" Nepeta said, waving her arms around.

"Coming." Dave replied, tipping John's chin up one last time before walking out with them.

* * *

"Thummoner how much farther?" Pollux asked the older angel.

"Not much farther, Pollux." Summoner replied. And he looked ahead and saw three demons, one of which was Dave Strider. "And looks like we've got our welcoming party." Summoner stated, flying towards them. Dave pulled his sword out and flies towards him. Summoner pulled out his spear and blocked the attack. "It's been a while, Dave."

"Same to you, Summoner." Dave smirked.

"You wouldn't happen to know where our angel John Egbert is, do you?" Summoner asked, pushing Dave back towards the ground. Dave landed and prepared himself for another attack,blocking the spear which came down on him.

"Yeah. He's safe with us, in a place you'll never find him." Dave smirked at the irritated angel. "You're not gonna get him back." Dave replied, pushing the angel away from him.

"We'll thee about that!" Pollux replied, flying down at Dave.

"No, Pollux. Don't." Summoner replied, causing Pollux to freeze.

"But he'th rubbing it in our face!"Pollux replied, causing Dave to smirk.

"I caught him fair and square. He lost in a fight and I, being a merciful demon, took him captive instead of sending him back for your nurses and doctors to stitch back together." Dave's smirk grew as he saw the agitation on Pollux's face grow. "He's my prize won fairly. Do you really wanna take him away?" Dave asked with a snarl.

"Thhut up, demon!" Pollux yelled, bringing his lance out and charged Dave, surprising the demon. Dave stood to the side and got hit on his side, he gasped in pain and kicked Pollux away. "Darn it, you demon!"

"That's enough, Pollux!" Summoner yelled. Pollux looked at Summoner and turned to glare at Dave. Nepeta and Equius soon arrived at Dave's side. Dave held his wounded side as he glared at Pollux. Equius put his hand on Dave's shoulder as Nepeta prepared her claws.

"That does it." Nepeta growled at the angel and attacked Pollux. Pollux gasped as the smaller demon jumped at him. She landed on top of him and scratched at his face with her claws. He gasped and kicked her off.

"You hear that?" Summoner heard a few humans waking up from their battle.

"Pollux, Dolorosa, retreat! We can't let any human see us!" Summoner yelled, flying towards the sky. Dolorosa followed quickly and Pollux gave Dave one last glare in Dave and Nepeta's direction before following them. Nepeta stuck her tongue out before running to Dave and Equius.

"Is he okay?" Nepeta asked.

"We need to get him back, to stop the bleeding." Equius stated, picking Dave up and carrying him back to the hide out.

* * *

John sat there, bored stiff until he heard the front door open and heard Nepeta's voice.

"Rose! Rose! Dave's hurt!" Nepeta yelled. John heard the sound of feet running about before walking towards the room he was in. John gasped a bit when he saw Equius and Rose help Dave into the room, blood flowing down one side. Nepeta looked and John and glared a bit before walking back into the other room. Rose had Dave sit down against the wall and took his shirt off, gasping at the wound. John stared at Dave's wound, dumbfounded.

"I'm fine, Rose. Gonna take more than this to kill me." Dave said smugly before wincing as Rose started to clean up the wound.

"Yes yes, Dave. I'm certain you are, which is why you're wincing as I clean it." Rose said, taking some bandages and starting to wrap the wound. Dave looked at John and saw John looking at him with a pained expression.

"Wh-Who did that?" John asked him.

"Some angel named Pollux." Dave replied. John gasped.

"They sent Pollux to get me? He hasn't ever liked me…" John said.

"Summoner was there too. We'd still be there if it hadn't been for some humans waking up."

"Good thing too. If you had stayed this wound would have bled out." Rose stated. Dave rolled his eyes as she stood up and left with the other demons, leaving Dave alone with John. Dave looked at John and smirked.

"Told ya, I wouldn't let them take you back without a fight." Dave stated.

"B-But why? Why would you go through all this trouble for an angel like me?" John asked. Dave slowly stood up and walked over to him, tipping his chin up again.

"Dunno. I guess I've taken a liking to you." Dave said, brushing John's cheek with his thumb. John gasped a bit and looked up at Dave. "It's been known to happen. Demons can find a human or angel they take a liking to and claim them. No other demon, or anything for that matter, is allowed to touch that human or angel." Dave kneels before John, looking him in the eyes. "You're mine, Egbert. I won you fair and square. No one else can touch you." Dave let his shades fall a bit and John lost his breathe at the determination in Dave's eyes. "No one."


	5. Chapter 4: Bonding Time

New chapter! And I can't believe the moment I put in here and how symbolic it could be seen as 0.0 well enjoy!

* * *

The next few days went by rather quickly. The demons allowed John to walk around the hideout and even walk out to the sewers if he had a demon with him. During those days John learned a lot. The stuttering demon was called Eridan, and three other demons appeared whom he hadn't met. One was the bubbly and energetic Feferi, another the silent and mysterious Aradia, and the final being Rose and Dave's older sister, Roxy, who seemed to have a permanent drunk atmosphere and attitude. Eridan and Feferi were best friends, same with Equius and Nepeta. Nepeta frequently used cat puns and cat nicknames, but she yet had come up with one for John. Equius outmatched all the other demons in physical strength while Sollux outmatched them in the brain department, guy was a genius! Dirk, the older Strider, lead the group of demons with Dave as his second in command, although it seemed Dirk let Dave do pretty much whatever he wanted. Rose pretty much kept to herself, reading a variety of books. Eridan studied history whenever he wasn't reading his Harry Potter books for the who-knows-how-many-time. Sollux matched the best computer hacker in the world. Feferi enjoyed swimming, while Aradia preferred exploring.

Dave, however, seemed a lot different than John's first impression. Dave enjoyed rapping, having little 'strife's' with Dirk, and he seemed to have a soft side for birds. John slowly began to realize when Dave started to put up a front and when he took it off. In other words, John was learning more and more about the 'real' Dave Strider and not the demon he first met, the one who only cared about himself and nothing else. Dave showed he cared for every demon in the team, even showing John some care when he needed it. He knew how to raise the morale of the team when they needed it, which impressed John. He and John often sat down and exchanged stories of their adventures, which both claimed to be for educational purposes but John really enjoyed them.

One thing that John really sympathized with Dave was their heroes. Dave often spoke of Bro Strider, the demon who raised Dave and Dirk. Dave said no other demon compared to him, in sword play or word play. John felt that way about Summoner, who trained him since he first became an angel at 6 years old. John explained to Dave how he lacked memories of his life on Earth and how Summoner training him was all he ever knew. Dave looked at him for a few minutes in silence before nodding.

John never expected to talk to a demon in a way he never talked to anyone, even Jane. He told Dave his fears, his past, his hopes and Dave in turn told him the same. Dave truly feared the demon tamers. He saw what they do and how they treat the demons once they tame them. Some demons even get killed in the taming process because they fight back and never let themselves be tamed. John gulped and looked at Dave. John felt something he knew as an angel he should never feel. He felt scared. Scared that Dave or Dirk or any of them would get caught and tamed, or worse, killed in the process. During his few days with the demons John learned more about them then any other time with Summoner. John began to see these demons as friends. Never once, except the initial encounter, had any of them attempted to harm him in anyway. In fact, they seemed like they only captured him to say they captured an angel, and pride kept them from letting him go.

Another thing John learned about the demons was their love of dancing. Whenever something good happened with the demons they celebrated with dancing, sometimes formal, sometimes dancing however they wanted. John always sat out to watch with a smile until one time.

"John, why don't you purticipate with the dancing?" Nepeta asked him curiously.

"I… I don't know how…" John responded a bit embarrassed. All the demons gasped.

"Wh-What do they teach you up there?!" Eridan asked in shock.

"Pretty much it's training nonstop…." John explained. Dave stood up from his spot and walked over to John.

"Come on. We're fixing this." Dave said grabbing John's hand and pulling him to the largest area in the sewer.

"Wh-What are we doing?!" John asked in shock.

"I'm teaching you how to dance, got it?" Dave said as he stopped in the middle of the area.

"D-Don't you need a girl or something for this?!" John asked as Dave put one of John's hands on his shoulder.

"You'll be the girl to begin with then I'll have Nepeta practice with you." Dave replied taking John's other hand in one of his and putting his other hand on John's side. John blushed in embarrassment and looked up at Dave. "The man always leads alright?" Dave instructed. John nodded and looked down at their feet, making sure he didn't step on Dave's feet when they started to move. "Look at me, John, not our feet." Dave said, making John look up at him. "The girl puts her trust in her dance partner. She doesn't need to look down. If the girl does anything wrong, it's because the man failed in leading her. Look in my eyes, John. Trust me." John gulped as he looked into Dave's eyes and next thing he knew they were dancing. John slowly smiled as he noticed this, causing Dave to smile and twirl him.

Soon Dave and John got lost in the dancing, not even realizing that the other demons came to watch, Sollux even starting some music for them and Eridan video recording them. Nepeta and Feferi watched the two and grinned. Dirk and Roxy watched with interest as the angel and demon danced together without a care. Dirk slowly smiled, watching his brother dance bringing a bit of joy to him. When they two dancers stopped dancing in time with the music, the spectators clapped for them, causing both to jump in surprise. John blushed in embarrassment again and Dave just smirked at his blush, poking his cheek.

"Well you two obviously have ballroom style down, but how about freestyle?" Dirk asked, wearing his own smirk.

"You know I got freestyle down, Dirk." Dave responded.

"Oh? Last time I definitely remember you being way behind in the styles, Dave." Dirk challenged.

"Oh you're so on, Dirk. Sollux, music. I'm showing this old timer how to dance."

"That's one hell of a way to talk to your superiors, Dave."

"Yeah? Try me!"

* * *

That night, after the intense dancing, John sat in the sewers, with Dave standing close by. Dave leaned against the wall, his eyes closed. John stared at the murky waters, his thoughts flying all over. He looked at Dave.

"Dave?"

"Yeah?" Dave replied, opening his eyes and looking at him.

"Why do you think they're sending people after me?" John asked. Dave raised a brow at him.

"Dude, I don't know. They're angels. I have a hard time understanding anything they do."

"But… I'm an angel…" John replied.

"Yeah, but you're different." Dave stated looking at John again.

"What do you mean?" John questioned.

"Well…" Dave started, looking at the top of the sewer before smirking. "You're a derp." Dave explained.

"Seriously Dave!" John said standing up and walking over to Dave until he stood in front of the demon. "I'm trying to be serious. Why do they keep coming after me when they would have let any other angel go as if for good? And why do you keep me like you do? How am I different?!" Dave quickly moved and pinned John to the wall, similar to how he did that first night, causing John to gasp.

"I seriously don't know. Best I can think of is because they hate the Sriders. Signless never got along with Bro, at all. That, or they don't want to lose one of their precious soldiers." Dave said, stroking John's cheek with his thumb as he said 'precious'. "They never got to know you, John. You yourself said all you did was train. Did anyone ever give you the time of day when you weren't training? Did they even try to get to know John Egbert?" Dave asked. John's eyes widened. What Dave said hit a cord with John. The only angels who seemed at all to really care for John were Summoner and Jane.

"J-Jane and Summoner did… Summoner was like a father to me…" John said in a whisper.

"But all you did was train. They wanted you to be nothing more than a soldier, John. Maybe they would show more interest once you were high ranking, but otherwise you're a pawn to them."

"That's not true, Dave." John said.

"Seems like that."

"They just want to protect humanity!" John retorted.

"What about us?! Why won't they protect us?! Demons need it to." Dave replied, gripping John's shoulder hard. "We have lived in harmony with humans for years. We buy meat from the market. We barely eat humans. Yes, other demons purposefully eat humans. It's those demons that need to be contained. But not all demons need to!"

"Then tell them! Tell Summoner you mean no harm to them!"

"Think they'll listen to us?! Maybe you but they will never believe a demon." Dave said.

"Then let me tell them!"

"I can't! They'll take you away if I let you go." Dave said, shocking John.

"Why are you so gung-ho about keeping me?! Is it demon pride?!"

"No… It's nothing like that."

"Then what is it?!" John asked.

"I've told you, John. You're mine!" Dave said, pushing John harder into the wall. "You understand me! You listen to me! Think I'm gonna let someone take that away from me!? You're the first non-demon friend I've had!" John's eyes widened at his last sentence.

"Y-You see me as your friend?" John asked. Dave's eyes widened, noticing his slip.

"Yes. Just… Don't tell any of the others okay?" Dave asked. John smiled and nodded slowly.

Suddenly the sound of someone running towards them echoed through the sewers. Dave and John both looked in the direction the sound came from and Dave pulled John behind him, pulling his broken sword out, ready to fight.

* * *

Big things gonna happen next chapter. Hope you're prepared ;)


	6. Chapter 5: Second Battle

Enjoy!

* * *

Dave stood at the ready, only to see Equius carrying an injured Nepeta running towards them. Dave and John's eyes widened when they saw Nepeta and Dave ran to them.

"What happened?!" Dave asked.

"That angel from before… Pollux if I remember correctly… he attacked us out of nowhere…" Equius explained, carefully holding Nepeta. The rage built in Dave and he gripped the hilt of his sword tight.

"I'm going out there." Dave said, anger dripping from his voice like venom.

"Not alone, Dave." John said, putting his hand on Dave's arm.

"I'm going now, Egbert. You stay with Nepeta. No one hurts one of mine and gets away with it."

"B-But Dave-!"

"NO BUTS!" Dave yelled, looking John in the face. John's eyes widened and he pulled his hand away. Dave softened his expression a bit. "Stay here. I'll be back soon. Just stay out of site." Dave said before running to the exit of the sewers.

* * *

Dave ran to where he saw the angel, standing victoriously beside a lamppost.

"Hey, Thtrider." Pollux greeted with a smirk.

"You… Why did you attack Nepeta?!" Dave questioned, pointing his broken sword at Pollux.

"Why elthe? It'th night time and thhe'th a demon. It'th my job." Pollux stated. Dave growled at him.

"Did she attack anyone?! No! She was out roleplaying with Equius! Nepeta won't attack unless attacked first!" Dave yelled.

"Whatever you thay, demon. You, however, look ready for a fight." Pollux said.

"You attacked one of my demons. You're going down!" Save said, rushing towards him and swinging. Pollux pulled his lance out and blocked the attack. Dave took this opportunity to jump and kick Pollux in the gut. The angel backed up and held his gut before aiming and Dave and attacking his weak side. Dave gasped in pain as the lance cut his side, reopening the wound. Dave glared and slashed his sword, cutting Pollux's face. Pollux screamed and put his free hand on his face, looking at Dave with deep hatred. He swung his lance and slashed Dave across the chest. Dave gasped again and stumbled backwards, his back meeting the side of building. Pollux smirked and swung his lance again, slashing Dave diagonally down from his shoulder. Dave coughed, a bit of blood coming out.

"You can't beat me, Thtrider. Not with a broken thword and your crappy fighting thtyle." Pollux said watching Dave slide down the wall. "I'd have had more of a challenge against Dirk, but whatevth. I'm gonna give you one more chance. Where'th John?"

"N-Never gonna tell ya." Dave coughed out. "I'll never hand him over to you."

"That'th to bad." Pollux said, aiming his lance at Dave's chest. "Maybe Dirk will hand him over when they find your dead body." Dave closed his eyes, preparing himself for the pain. Seconds passed and no pain came, just the sound of metal on metal and Pollux gasping. Dave slowly opened his eyes and his eyes widened. In front of him, hammer at the ready, stood John, his wings out, protecting him.

"J-John?" Dave coughed.

"Hang in there, Dave. Rose is on the way." John replied, not looking at him. Dave just stared at John wide eyed, as was Pollux.

"Egbert, you idiot! What are you doing?! You know the cardinal rule! No helping demonth!" Pollux yelled.

"You're right. I do know. But they didn't do anything wrong. I can't let you, someone who is supposed to fight for justice and freedom, injure a few innocents like that!" John replied, his voice filled with determination. Pollux looked at John wide eyed. "I'm willing to face Signless and Summoner for this. I know the consequences, but you're in the wrong too." John stated, raising his hammer and pointing at Pollux.

"You're making a mithtake, Egbert." Pollux spat, raising his lance again.

"Dave!" Dave turned and saw Rose running to him. John rushed Pollux, swinging his hammer and hitting him in the arm. Pollux yelled and kicked at John and John grabbed his leg. Dave stared at the fight with wide eyes, even after Rose reached him and helped him up.

"J-John… S-Stop…" Dave said. Rose started to pull him away, Dave resisting as best he could. "N-No, I… I can't leave…"

"Dave, we need to get you out of here… John will be fine. You need help." Dave wouldn't take his eyes off John, who fought blow-to-blow with Pollux. He looked away only when John and Pollux were out of site and Dave and Rose made it to the sewers. Dirk and Roxy met them halfway and Dirk carefully picked up his brother carrying him quickly to the hideout.

"D-Dirk… J-John… H-He's fighting… H-Help him…" Dave begged his brother as he put him on his bed. Dirk looked at his brother and nodded slowly, holding his hand tight before grabbing his sword and running out.

* * *

Meanwhile, John and Pollux stared each other down, each panting. John had multiple gashes, cuts and scratches on his body and Pollux had a multitude of bruises on his body. John raised his hammer and ran at Pollux one more time, Pollux raising his lance and running to meet him. Both swung and both hit their targets as the two ran passed each other. Both stood still for a few moments before John gasped and fell to the ground, Pollux smirking.

"I win, Egbert. I win." He walked over to John and crouched next to him. John stared up at him. "You did your betht. But now you have to face Thignlethth and Thummoner." Pollux said, tying John's hands behind his back. He yanked John up and John felt dizzy from blood lose.

"Y-You know… I'm getting sick of ropes…" John muttered. Pollux tightened his grip of John's arms and John winced.

"Ropeth are the latht of your concernth." Pollux said, spreading his wings and preparing to fly. "Pollux!" Pollux looked and saw Dirk running towards them.

"Too late, Dirk Thtrider! He'th coming with me." Pollux replied, flapping his wings and lifting John and himself into the air and out of Dirk's reach. Dirk ran after them until he couldn't anymore and cursed under his breathe.

"Dave… What am I gonna tell Dave….?!"

* * *

Sollux sat next to Dave as Rose and Roxy patched Dave up. Despite his earlier arguments, Dave felt a lot more pain than any time before. Rose already said he'd be stuck in bed for weeks until his wounds healed more.

"Sollux, you have anyway of finding out what angel laws and consequences are?" Dave rasped to Sollux. Sollux looked at him for a few minutes, before nodding slowly and opening his laptop. Dave stared at the ceiling, wincing whenever Rose would clean or wrap one of his wounds. After a few minutes Dirk walked in slowly. Everyone looked at him and he took his shades off, never a good sign. He looked at Dave who sat up, all bandaged looked at him with wide, worried eyes. Dirk bit his lip and got on his hands and knees, shocking everyone.

"I… I couldn't save him. By the time I'd gotten there it was too late. I ran after them as far as I could. I… I'm sorry." Dirk said. Dave stared at him with wide eyes. He'd stopped listening after the first sentence. The angels had taken John back. Who knew if they'd see John again, if John would even be alive.

Sollux continued his research of the laws and punishments of the angels after this news more quickly. He, along with Dirk and Roxy, saw how close Dave and John had gotten. A bit too close, to where Sollux even wondered if Dave saw John as 'a friend'. Sollux finally found what he was looking for and he read through the rules quickly. "Tho… The motht important rule ith never help a demon, no matter what." Sollux said. Dave looked at him before looking down.

"Well, he broke that rule just now…" Rose stated.

"The punithhment ith…" Sollux froze as he read it.

"What is it, Sollux?" Dave asked. Sollux simply gulped and looked at him.

"It… It's not death is it?" Nepeta asked, curled up a bit, scared for John. Sollux shook his head.

"Will he be hurt?" Rose asked. Sollux nodded slowly.

"P-Permanently?" Eridan asked slowly. Sollux nodded again.

"What will be hurt?!" Rose asked.

"It… It'th not what will be hurt…" Sollux replied.

"What do you mean?" Dave asked, scared of the answer.

"It… it'th what he'th gonna lothe…" Sollux replied. Everyone looked at him with wide eyes, waiting for him to continue. "He'th… He'th gonna lothe hith wingth…" Dirk's eyes widened.

"No! I know what that does to an angel!" Dirk stood up quickly. Roxy jumped a bit, looking at her older brother.

"Wh-What does it mean? What does it do to him?" Roxy asked before slightly hiccuping.

"He'll… He'll become one of us…" Dirk said. "He'll be changed into a demon."

* * *

Pollux had dragged John back to the angels' headquarters and brought him to Signless and Summoner who greeted them with shocked faces. Pollux explained what happened and demanded John receive his punishment. When Summoner asked John if all Pollux said was true, John simply looked away from him, unable to see his trainer's disappointed face. Signless, begrudgingly, granted Pollux his wish, even letting Pollux be the one to pull John's wings out. Summoner begged for at least John be allowed to live on Earth, and Signless allowed it. Pollux went about with the punishment slowly and painfully, almost every angel in headquarters hearing John's screams. Jane wasn't allowed to see John, the separation already bring too much for the both of them.

After John's wings were removed, Summoner picked him up off the ground, looking at his recently unconscious form. He looked small now, even smaller than when he first met John 12 years ago. Summoner flew John down to Earth, to the same area that Pollux and he had fought. He gently leaned John against the wall and brushed the hair out of his face slowly.

"John Egbert. I want you to know… I'm proud to have been your trainer. You did something I wish I could have done years ago. Thank you. Strider better take care of you." Summoner said, petting John's head one last time before flying back to headquarters, not looking back.


	7. Chapter 6: Reunion Dance

Two chapters in one day?! OMG! XD. Enjoy!

* * *

The next day was Roxy's day to go buy the food and drinks for the team and they gave her a list to give to the attendant to make sure she got everything. She sighed as she walked, a bit upset they limited her to one bottle of alcohol. As she walked she passed by the area Pollux had attacked and she stopped walking for a moment. The memory of what happened still haunted her a bit. Her younger brother lost his best friend to the angels, even though he was one himself. She looked at the area again and gasped when she saw a body leaning against the wall, the head kinda just hanging. She ran to the person and lifted the head up before gasping.

"J-John?!" Roxy gasped, looking at him. She noticed the changes immediately. Dirk was right. John turned into one of them. He had the characteristic pointed ears of the demon. She couldn't tell if his teeth were sharp or not but at the moment she could care less. She picked John up slowly and headed back to the hideout. John weighed a bit less than Roxy expected and it took her a bit of time.

When Roxy returned to the hideout, no one else was there except Dave, who was asleep, and Dirk who was polishing his sword. Dirk looked at her and his eyes widened.

"Is that…?" Dirk started.

"Yeah. Help me get him to a bed." Roxy said. Dirk ran to her side and took John off her back. He then took John and put him on a bed, brushing the hair away from his face. "I'll go wake Davey." Roxy said with a grin and ran to Dave's bed. She gently shook him a bit, earning a groan from him.

"Roxy this better be good…" Dave complained, looking up at her.

"We found him, Dave. He's here." Roxy said with a gentle smile. He looked up at her with wide eyes and sat up quickly, looking around until he saw Dirk standing on the other side of John. Dave stood up and stand on the closest side of John, staring down at him. He sat down on the edge of the bed, slowly cupping John's cheek with his hand. Dirk smiled at Dave slowly.

"You really like him huh?" Dirk asked, causing the younger Strider to turn a deep shade of red. Dirk chuckled. "Can't keep anything from me and Roxy, Dave. We knew the day you two danced in the sewer you were head over heels." Dave blushed even more and glared at Dirk. "Don't worry. It normally happens with the person you bond with." Dirk patted Dave's head. "Bro felt that way once. But he said he couldn't act on it." Dave nodded slowly. "Don't worry. I won't tell him and neither will Roxy. Your secret's safe with us." Dirk messed with Dave's hair before leaving with Roxy to get the groceries, leaving Dave and John alone.

Dave looked back at John, brushing his thumb over John's cheek. He noticed John's ears, now pointy unlike before. "It's true… You're one of us now…" Dave said. Part of him felt overjoyed, the other half felt extreme guilt. John gave up his angel abilities to save Dave, also losing the only family he had. But now that he wasn't an angel, John could stay with them forever. No more Pollux trying to take him from them. Dave gulped a bit as he looked down at John's clothes. There were some bloodstains from his fight and from the wing extraction.

Dave gasped a bit as John began to stir, pulling his hand away. John's gentle blue eyes opened slowly and looked up at Dave. "D-Dave…" John whispered.

"H-Hey, Egderp." Dave said, trying to keep calm. John rolled his eyes a bit and playfully punched Dave's arm. "Roxy found you after… after everything happened." Dave explained. John sat up slowly, wincing a bit when he felt a slight pain in his back. John slowly took his glasses off and rubbed his eyes a bit.

"I figured she or Dirk would…" John mumbled. "Summoner begged for me to be allowed to come back to Earth… To come back here…" John said, looking at Dave. Dave's eyes widened.

"Summoner did?"

"Yeah… Normally, at least this is what I've heard, is angels who become demons go straight to the tamer…" Dave looked at John with wide eyes.

"No… I can't believe that…" Dave said, putting his hand on John's cheek. John looked at Dave. "I wouldn't have let it happen… The moment I found out I'd have come for you…" John smiled a bit at him.

"I know… That's what friends do." John said. Dave's eyes widened. "John, you became a demon because of me… I'm amazed you actually came back…" Dave said.

"Dave… You didn't deserve any of what Pollux did. Neither did Nepeta. I couldn't let him do anything to you guys."

"John, I've done so many things that would make you cringe." Dave said to him, looking down.

"Would you rather have died?" John asked, looking right at Dave. Dave sat there silently for a few moments.

"No… No I wouldn't have."

"Then I don't regret it. I don't regret it at all." Dave slowly looked back up and met John's gaze. "In fact… I…. I think we should all dance tonight…" Dave chuckled a bit.

"Alright. We'll celebrate you joining our team tonight. You're not allowed to join any other team. You're still mine, whether you're an angel or demon." Dave smirked and John rolled his eyes.

* * *

Later that night, all the demons got ready for some dancing. Nepeta, Rose, and Roxy prepared a special mean while Sollux prepped some music. Dave leaned against the wall of the large room and sighed a bit.

"You okay, Dave?" Dave jumped a bit and looked at John. Dirk found some of Equius's old clothes that fit him and let him change into them so they could clean up John's clothes and patch them up.

"Yeah. I'm fine." John leaned against the wall next to him.

"Feels weird, not having to worry about hiding those wings I had…" John confessed. Dave looked him over before putting his hand on John's head.

"Don't worry. You'll get used to it." Dave said. John nodded slowly.

"I always sucked at flying." Dave chuckled at his little reply and looked at him with a smile. John smiled back and heard some music start playing. John noticed people already starting to dance, Nepeta with Equius, Feferi with Eridan, and Aradia with Sollux. John slowly looked at Dave who stood their watching the dancers. "Dave? Wanna dance?" John asked. Dave looked at him a bit wide eyed. "W-Well, Roxy is dancing with Dirk and Rose is reading her book and well… All the other friends are dancing with each other so…"

"Sure." Dave said with a smile. He took John's hand and they went onto the make shift dance floor and John slowly put his hand on Dave's shoulder, holding his other hand as Dave put his hand on John's waist. John looked up at Dave, meeting his gaze. Dave smiled down as they began to dance. Rose looked up at them and smiled, having the next song to play be a slow dance song. When said slow dance song came on, John slowly leaned his head on Dave's chest, closing his eyes as they danced. Dave's breathe hitched a bit, hoping John couldn't hear his quickening heart beat. Dave looked down at John before closing his eyes as well, getting lost in the music. In those few moments, Dave felt at peace. He was alive, John was safe, and he had his friend back. No angel would take him away again. Dave held John close as they danced, hoping the peace would stay as long as he could have it.


	8. Chapter 7: What Is This Feeling?

Sorry this chapter is relatively short... I had major writers' block. Enjoy!

* * *

The next few weeks went by in a blur. The demons made a bed for John between Nepeta and Eridan. Equius gave John all of his old clothes, which surprising fit perfectly. John discovered some demons grow tails. This he discovered the hard way when he felt his tail start to grow at an astonishing rate. Dave, trying to make him feel better, revealed that he, Dirk, Eridan, Nepeta, and Roxy all had tails, which they kept hidden. John watched with wide eyes and Dave lifted his shirt to show a long tail wrapped around his stomach.

When John's tail finally stopped growing, it wasn't as long as Dave's, nor as thick. It moved a lot quicker, meaning John could use it as a whip like weapon if he needed to. John still had his hammer, which he still preferred.

The one problem John had was he had a hard time changing from captive to comrade. It wasn't that he felt threatened or that he didn't trust them. He did. He just felt that he shouldn't really be equals with them. He helped out when he could. Turns out he was a natural cook. He was a bit of a klutz when he cleaned so Nepeta and Aradia took care of that.

There were times John would sneak out and just walk around the sewers. With his newly heightened sense he could easily find his way back if he ever got lost, so he never worried about it. He would sometimes just sit and listen to the water flow passed him, closing his eyes.

Now was one of those times. He sat there, eyes closed, listening to the water. This spot quickly became one of John's favorites. No one else around, he could just sit there and enjoy the sound of the water. Strangely, the smell of the sewers no longer bothered John. Actually, it calmed him. He looked at the ceiling of the sewers and chuckled a bit. He never thought he'd ever be here, living amongst demons and becoming one himself. He didn't regret it. He'd saved Dave's life. Why did he save a demon's life? Because Dave was his friend. Dave knew him better than even Jane had.

But one thing kept tugging at his mind. Everytime he and Dave danced, he felt like he was in another dimension, where only he and Dave existed. No one else was there, just the two of them. He also felt light as a feather, his heart beat faster, and he never wanted it to end. That wasn't normal. Not normal at all. John looked at the water again, remembering the night he returned after losing his wings. He asked Dave to dance, and the moment Dave held him close, John felt safe. He knew Dave wouldn't let anything bad happen to him. Remembering that night brought a slight blush to his face and his heart to start beating quicker.

John quickly shook his head. There's no way he's falling for Dave. No. Way. Dave was his best friend. Sure, they had only known each other for a little over a month or two. But they had gotten close. Not that close though. No way. His new demon body must have some weird reactions to things. John heard footsteps coming towards him and looked at where they came from. He was surprised when he saw Nepeta running to him.

"Hey, John! Dave's looking fur ya!" Nepeta said, taking his hand and pulling him up.

"Okay okay, Nepeta." John replied, chuckling a bit at her. She giggled and walked with him, swinging their arms as they walked. John smiled at her. "Why's Dave looking for me?" John asked.

"There are more hunters around. Like, a lot more! And Dave doesn't wanna risk losing his best furiend again." John smiled a bit at that, causing Nepeta to giggle. "You two are so cute!' John blushed a bit.

"I don't know what you're talking about, Nepeta." John stuttered. Nepeta giggled again.

"Yeah you do! They way you two dance, the way you two protect each other, those glances you give each other…~"

"Nepeta you're imagining things again." John said, looking away as his blush deepened.

"Nope! I'm not imagining the blush on your face. I so ship you two!"

"Sh-Ship?"

"You know, relationSHIP. You and Dave are so one of my biggest ships." Nepeta explained before they arrived to the common area. John saw Dave talking with Rose before he noticed his arrival and met his gaze. Nepeta giggled as John walked over to Dave.

"You sent for me?" John asked.

"Yeah. We all need to stay here for a while until the hunters leave. I have a friend on the outside who'll bring us stuff if we need it." Dave explained, putting one hand on John's shoulder.

"A friend?" John asked.

"Yeah. He's a special case. Mother is human but his father was a demon. a CRAZY demon at that. My Bro was the only one who could handle him." Dave explained. John nodded slowly. "Now that everyone's here, who wants John to cook dinner?"

"I do!" replied every other demon in the room.

* * *

Meanwhile, at the nearest airport, a young man walked out, feeling the wind blow. His green eyes looked at the evening sky, getting used to the time change. He saw a cab waiting for him and he jumped in, being driven to his location, the Houston, Texas Hunters Central. He looked out the window, bored out of his mind. They soon arrived and he jumped out of the cab after paying the driver. He walked into the building, one hand pulling his luggage bag, the other hand scratching his head nervously. The lady at the front saw him and smiled gently.

"May I help you, sir?" The lady asked. The man walked over to her and nodded.

"Yes, um… I'm here to see Mr Scratch?" The man asked.

"Is he expecting you, sir?" The lady asked curiously.

"Y-Yes. He invited me here from Washington…"

"Name please? I shall inform him of your arrival."

"English. Jake English."


	9. Chapter 8: Jake English the Hunter

Sorry it took so long to update... I've had a hard time lately. So it's also a kinda sad chapter. Enjoy.

* * *

Jake sighed a bit. It had been a few days since his arrival and the supposed 'swarm' of demons he had been called in to help with hadn't even appeared. He looked around the town and decided to try out this cafe he'd heard about. His only concern was the cafe welcomed both humans and demons alike. However, even the other demon hunters said the food tasted exquisite.

Jake slowly walked in, looking around. It looked like any other cafe, with booths and tables alike. He saw a single worker, a young man taller than himself, and lanky to boot. The man's blond hair looked a mess, as if not even the best hair stylist could fix it. The one thing that made Jake gasp about the boy was his deep purple eyes that looked up at him. The man grinned a goofy grin and waved at him.

"May I help you sir?" Jake slowly walked over to him, still staring at him. He took a look at the young man's name tag. He recognized the name right away. Gamzee Makara. This young man was famous amongst demon hunters. He was a rare half human, half demon boy, son of the infamous Grand Highblood, a ferocious demon named thus for his royalty amongst the demon species and power. "Uh… Sir?" Jake shook his head quickly.

"Sorry. I just arrived a few days ago and I heard this place was great." Jake explained.

"Oh! Cool! First meal's on the house!" Gamzee said with his goofy grin still on his face.

"R-Really?" Jake asked surprised. Gamzee nodded. "Th-Then I'll have a slice of pound cake and a coffee please." Gamzee nodded and went to get everything ready. Jake took a look around the cafe and saw only two other customers, both younger males. One had bright blond hair and aviator shades on, the other had his back to him but he noticed the mess of black hair on his head. The black haired boy was filling out what looked like a job application. The boy stood up and turned towards him and Jake almost gasped in surprise. The boy looked like an older version of his dead brother. The boy walked passed him and handed the paper to Gamzee who nodded with a smile. The boy waved and ran back to the blond, who had stood up and the two walked out, the blond messing with the black haired boy's hair.

Jake looked down, remembering the night his brother and sister died. That night was what convinced him to become a demon hunter. His father let the demon go, but he couldn't forgive the demon who caused the death of his family. The main reason Jake took up the offer to come here was he heard an orange eyed demon was wondering around. The demon who ran in front of their car also had orange eyes. Jake wanted revenge for his family.

"Sir?" Gamzee said, holding the cake and coffee cup.

"Sorry, Gamzee. I got a little, side tracked." Jake said, taking the food. "Who's that kid?"

"His name's John. He just moved here a while ago. Sweet kid." Jake's eyes widened. The boy even had the same name as his brother. Jake gulped quietly. "He needs a job. Got quite a few mouths to feed." Jake nodded slowly. Gamzee looked over Jake a bit.

"Well, I better go. Thanks, Gamzee." Jake said waving to the boy and walking out.

* * *

Dave and John walked out of Gamzee's cafe after getting breakfast and John trying to get a job. "Dude… That guy looked just like me…" John said, feeling a bit weirded out.

"Yeah… It was weird." Dave replied before feeling his phone vibrate. He pulled his phone out and his eyes widened before grabbing John's arm and walking faster.

"Wh-What's up?" John asked.

"That guy's a demon hunter. We gotta get home." John gasped when he heard that and walked with him. John looked back and saw the guy following them. "Don't look back. Don't acknowledge he's there. Don't even think about him." Dave pulled John into the closest alley, hopefully losing the guy. Dave dragged John back into the farthest part of the alley. They stand behind a pile of crates and watch as the guy also walks into the alleyway. Dave growled a bit and took his shades off before walking out into view. The man gasped and pulled his guns out. John gasped a bit and the man looked at John before looking at Dave.

"You both demons?" The man asked, pointing both guns at Dave. Dave looked at John and then back at the man.

"John… Run…" Was all Dave said before rushing the hunter. The man gasped and pulled the trigger of his gun, missing Dave as he jumped onto him. John quickly ran passed them and ran towards the sewers, looking back to see Dave running from the hunter another way. John gulped and climbed into the sewers and ran to get back up.

* * *

Dave kept running, surprised by the lack of people out. He knew weekends barely had people out at eight in the morning but to think no one was out to help him lose the guy aggravated him. The guy was a very good shot, almost hitting Dave every time he pulled the trigger. Dave kept dodging and ran into a side road. He gasped when he saw there was a wall there. "Shit…" Dave cursed and as he turned around he saw the hunter standing behind him, both guns ready. Dave slowly backed against the wall, gulping a bit. He lowered one of them and aimed the other at Dave's head.

"Ypu're coming with me." The man said.

"No he isn't." The man felt the point of a sword at the back of his neck and his eyes widened. Dave grinned.

"Dirk!" Dave yelled. The man turned to face Dirk and his eyes widened when he saw Dirk's eyes.

"Get away from my brother, bro." Dirk said, causing the man's eyes to widen even more. Dirk looked at Dave. "Get out of here. Now." Dave nods and ran passed him, seeing John and Rose. Dirk keeps the sword at Jake's neck. "Now… What to do with you." Jake pulls his guns up and quickly knocks the sword from his neck and points the guns at Dirk after jumping back. Dirk raised his sword and held it with both hands. "So… That's how it's gonna be."

"I'm a hunter. It's my job to keep people safe." The man said. Dirk laughed a bit.

"Trust me. The only one of those two you had to worry about was Dave. John's a little angel who wouldn't hurt a fly." The man glared hard at him.

"Don't say that name and the word angel again!" The man said, raising a gun at him. Dirk looked at him confused.

"What? Lose a family member or something?" The glare on the man grew and he almost growled at him.

"Shut up!" He said pulling the triggers of both guns. Dirk ducked and ran towards him. The man jumped back and shot another bullet, which tore through Dirk's shoulder.

"Shit!" Dirk yelled and swung his sword at the man. He hit the man's chest and he gasped, pulling his gun towards Dirk and let one bullet out.

* * *

Dave soon arrived at the hideout with John and Rose safe and sound. More hunters had been notified that demons were about and so they decided to stay in the sewers. Hours passed and no sign of Dirk at all. Dave paced back and forth while John and Rose sat, back against the sewer wall.

Soon the sound of footsteps could be heard and Dave looked up expecting to see Dirk. Instead, he saw his friend Gamzee, walking towards them with a solemn face.

"G-Gamzee." Dave said. "Wh-Where's Dirk?" Gamzee looked down, his eyes lacking their usual brightness. He opened his backpack and pulled out a broken sword, blade broken in half. Dave's eyes widened when he saw it. "N-No… He can't be…"

"S-Sorry, motherf*cker…. This is all I found…" Gamzee said, handing him the sword hilt. Dave took it, his hands shaking. He collapsed to his knees. Rose leaned her head on John's shoulder, starting to cry. John just stared at the broken sword with wide eyes. Dave hunched over, holding the sword tightly.

"No… Dirk…. DIRK!"


	10. Chapter 9: The Aftermath

Sorry this took a while, I've been really fighting writer's block. So I hope you guys at least semi-enjoy this… That this is semi-good….

* * *

The next day Dave sat alone in the sewers. The others tried to join him, but he growled at them, warning them not to come any closer. Finally, John tried to sit next to him. Dave barely made a sound as John sat beside him, putting his hand on Dave's shoulder. Dave slowly looked at John, his eyes redder than normal. John pulled the taller demon a bit closer, letting him lean on his shoulder. Dave took John's other hand and held it tight, crying into John's shoulder. John let Dave cry, whispering a few times to him little phrases of comfort.

Rose and Roxy watched from afar. Rose felt a supreme sadness watching her brother cry. He always kept such a cool and collected facade that seeing him even show any sadness shocked all of them. Sure, Dave lost a bit of his facade when John was taken back, but that was soon repaired by John's return. Dirk would never come back. He was taken just as suddenly and without notice as Bro had been 5 years prior.

Rose turned and walked away. She couldn't handle seeing Dave like this. Roxy watched her leave, looked back at John and Dave before following Rose.

None of the demons had left the sewers since the event. Gamzee brought them whatever they needed once he was done with work, even bringing them some cake from the cafe. He didn't say anything when he dropped it off. He just nodded and walked back out. Eridan read his books for the 30-something time while Sollux typed away on his computer. Feferi and Nepeta sat on the couch in silence.

John finally pulled Dave to his feet and pulled him to the big, empty make-shift ballroom. John pulled him onto the floor. Dave looked up at him slowly.

"Not… Not now, John…"

"It might help… Even just a bit…" John insisted, making Dave look at him. John put Dave's hand on his shoulder, taking his other hand in his. Dave's eyes widened as he looked at John. "You need a break from leading Dave… You've been strong for far too long…"

Dave stared at John for a bit before John started to move, leading him across the floor. Dave blinked a few times, realizing he wasn't even thinking about how he was moving, the smaller male leading him around the dance floor. Slowly, tears started to flow down Dave's face again, but John kept dancing, albeit slower than before. Dave cried as they danced, John letting him and whispering small words of comfort. Slowly the two stopped moving and John looked up at Dave. Dave sniffed a bit and met his gaze. "Thanks John…" Dave said, smiling slightly. John just grinned and nodded. Dave then noticed just how close their faces were. John seemed to come to the same realization and blushed slightly. Without realizing it, Dave slowly began to lean in closer to John, who's blush just deepened.

"D-Dave…. What… Are you…" John began, but he slowly just closed his eyes, completely caught off guard and blushed as he felt Dave's breathe on his lips.

"Dave! Dave!" Dave and John both jumped when they heard Rose's voice. Dave pulled away from John, both blushing supremely.

"What's up, Rose…?" Dave asked.

Rose looked at her brother for a second, smiling a thank you to John. "I hate to be the messenger but….you need to pick a second in command… And soon… The hunters are getting rowdy…" Rose explained. Dave clenched his fists and nods.

"Tell Roxy I pick her." Rose's eyes widened a bit. "Dirk always said I should know just in case. Roxy is the one I pick. Go tell her. And _I _am gonna go check out the hunter situation."

"I'll come with you." John said.

"No. You're not coming."

"But Dave…"

"No, John! No buts!" Dave snapped. John flinched back a bit. "I've lost Bro and Dirk…" Dave looked at John. "I'm not losing you too." John looked at Dave for a moment before looking down.

"O-Okay… I'll stay here…" Dave nodded and ran to the hideout to get some things. Rose looked at John.

"I'm glad you're here, John…" Rose said. John looked at her confused. "Dave wouldn't talk to anyone for weeks after Bro's death. This time, he had you to help him and he's come out of his shell this quickly. Thank you." John smiled a bit sheepishly.

"I dunno if it's just me." John said quietly and walked with her to the hideout just as Dave left.

* * *

Up above the sewers, Dave walked with his walking stick, pulling the 'blind' act. He even wore light blue contacts to cover his bright red eyes. Just as Rose said, more hunters covered the street. However, Dave could not find the hunter he'd last scene Dirk with, the John copycat. Dave growled silently and kept walking. He decided to stop by Gamzee's shop and his gasped when he saw Gamzee with his arm in a cast.

"Gamzee, what happened?!" Dave asked as he walked over to the taller male.

"Man, I was all up and chilling after work and some motherf*ckering hunters came over and started bugging me. One was obviously drunk and he picked a fight with me…"

"It wasn't the same one was it?"

"Naw. Actually, that one was the one who got between us and helped me to the hospital. Felt motherf*cking awkward though…"

"You… You're on pills aren't you?" Dave asked raising a brow. Gamzee grinned a bit and nodded.

"Yup. Hurts like a bitch." Gamzee explained.

"That explains it. Well, think you can hold off on help for a while? I don't want John coming out in this until the whole situation has calmed down…"

"Of course! Kurbro has been helping these passed few days. I don't want any trouble."

Dave nodded. "Thanks man." Dave and Gamzee gave each other a fist bump before Dave walked out, taking another walk around to see just how many hunters were out. And to answer that, a LOT.

Dave returned to the hideout later that night to find everyone already asleep. He took his contacts out and took a look around, eventually spying John and Rose asleep against the wall. Dave chuckled and picked Rose up and carried her to bed, tucking her in before going to John and doing the same thing. Dave stared down at John before slowly taking John's glasses off his face for him and placing them beside his bed. "Sleep well, John…." Dave said before going to his own bed.


End file.
